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What is High-Quality Medical Research (Part I)?

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Health Stripe

Can Burgers and Fries Boost Memory?

June 30th 2009 17:22

A recent study in rats reports that components of fatty foods (oleic acids) may be converted to memory-enhancing agents in the gut. Dr. Daniele Piomelli, a researcher at the University of California at Irvine, found that oleic acid improved memory in rats in two different tests – navigating a maze and avoiding unpleasant experiences.

To investigate how oleic acid was improving memory, the researchers blocked oleic acid with drugs. This revealed that when the rats were given certain drugs that block activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), the performance benefits of oleic acids disappeared. Therefore, the researchers speculate that this response is related to emotional arousal.

Oleic acids contribute to feelings of fullness after a meal. This may have aided early humans to locate and remember the context of a fatty meal.

This finding may lead to new treatments for humans with memory impairments. Other labs have not replicated this preliminary finding independently. Additionally this effect has not been shown in humans. Therefore, it is probably unwise to load up on burgers and fries in an effort to help you on your next exam!

Original Reference can be found at: The Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences

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Posted By: Heather G - Category: No Category

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What is High-Quality Medical Research (Part I)?

June 2nd 2009 17:54

Overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting health headlines? With the huge barrage of medical/health information bombarded at us everyday, how do we know what to believe?

High quality evidence for a relationship between a given substance (for example cranberries) and disease (for example urinary tract infection) is judged by considering peer-reviewed (more on this forthcoming) scientific studies and publicly available data that report on these associations. This is called Evidence Based Medicine. A simple explanation is that when enough high-quality researched has been published on a given subject, then conclusions can be firmly drawn (cranberries prevent urinary tract infections).

Specific types of studies are often referred to when analyzing the scientific literature. These are: systematic reviews of the medical literature (focusing on a single question and synthesizing all the high quality evidence pertaining to that topic), large randomized controlled trials (random allocation of a given treatment to a group of participants), and large prospective studies (followed up over time). Reports of the experiences of individual patients or small groups usually provide less reliable evidence.

Typically media coverage centers around one recently published study, without putting that study in context. If one study claims that X causes Y, but four other studies claim that X has no relationship to Y, then the general scientific consensus is that there is no relationship between X and Y. Unfortunately the 24 hour news cycle often does not allow for careful background research before the media hypes the latest 'breakthrough'. This doesn't mean that everything you hear on the news is wrong, it is just not placed within the context of the body of evidence on a given topic. This leads to great public confusion when one day you hear that X may be good for you, and then next week hear that it's bad for you.

Believe it or not, there are a variety of standards that exist for judging the quality of evidence. Many US organizations (and throughout the world) have published standards by which to judge. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration), AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), and the WHO (World Health Organization), to name a few, all have standards for the quality of evidence on which they base decisions. The Harvard School of Public Health has a nice in-depth explanation of some of the things mentioned here.

Coming Soon... Part II - What separates the good from the bad?

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Posted By: Heather G - Category: No Category

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Cherries Not Really A Superfruit?

May 18th 2009 15:32

Cherries are being promoted as a ‘Super Fruit’. Recent research has reported that both sweet and sour cherries have a high antioxidant content (1). Additional research has reported that these antioxidants are absorbed into the bloodstream in humans (2), meaning that these compounds are bioavailable (absorbed through the gut). Antioxidants may reduce risk factors for heart disease and inflammation.

However, most of the evidence for the beneficial effects of cherries comes from studies in animal models and in vitro (in cells outside a living organism). It seems that while cherries contain many compounds that may be beneficial for human health, there is no direct evidence that cherries promote health or reduce the risk of disease.

1. Anthocyanin content, lipid peroxidation and cyclooxygenase enzyme inhibitory activities of sweet and sour cherries.Mulabagal V, Lang GA, DeWitt DL, Dalavoy SS, Nair MG.J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Feb 25;57(4):1239-46.
2. Plasma antioxidant capacity changes following a meal as a measure of the ability of a food to alter in vivo antioxidant status.Prior RL, Gu L, Wu X, Jacob RA, Sotoudeh G, Kader AA, Cook RA.J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Apr;26(2):170-81.

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Change of Pace

May 13th 2009 13:15

Orble has offered me this domain in place of my previous Orble blog, healthbits. I just wanted to let any previous readers of this blog know that it has changed hands. The format will likely stay very similar for now. I have been posting bits of ‘health’ related news that interest me. As my blogging progresses I plan to go more in-depth in some issues and post links for further information. Thanks for reading!

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Move It!

May 11th 2009 16:38

We are constantly being bombarded by the advice to exercise. Yet finding time is increasingly difficult in our busy modern world. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can help maintain a healthy weight, prevent chronic disease, and boost mood

[ Click here to read more ]

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Posted By: Heather G - Category: No Category

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Achoo! A Unique Way to Relieve Allergy Symptoms

April 15th 2009 17:53

It’s that time of year again when April showers bring more than flowers. Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from spring allergies. People with allergies will experience nasal congestion, headache, sneezing, itchy watery eyes, and fatigue when exposed to allergens like pollen. Allergy-induced asthma is also prevalent this time of year in children and adults.

There are a variety of treatment options for allergy sufferers, but a less common alternative treatment option may also provide relief. Nasal irrigation may reduce symptoms of allergies and other nasal problems

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Posted By: Heather G - Category: No Category

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Are Dental Amalgam Fillings Safe?

April 5th 2009 18:11

Dental amalgam has been used in dentistry for over 200 years, yet still mired in controversy. Dental amalgam is an alloy elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and sometimes other metallic elements.

Many people believe that the mercury in amalgam could lead to health problems. However, health professionals report that there is not enough mercury contained in the amalgam to cause any potential problems normally associated with mercury such as kidney or lung damage

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Forget carrots, video games boost night vision

March 31st 2009 17:28

Playing action video games can actually improve eyesight. Researchers at the University of Rochestor reported that playing action games improves contrast sensitivity, the ability to detect subtle variation in shades of grey in twilight conditions.

Two groups of adults were randomly assigned to play either an action game, consisting of shooting of targets (Unreal tournament 2004 and Call of Duty 2) or a non-action video game (the Sims 2) for 50 hours over the course of 9 weeks

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Posted By: Heather G - Category: No Category

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Chocolate Milk, Nature's Sports Drink

March 27th 2009 15:41

photo courtesy of www.topnews.in

Chocolate milk helps athletes recovery more effectively from strenuous exercise. Kevin Thomas, Northumbria University, reported that compared to a carbohydrate replacement drink and a fluid replacement drink, chocolate milk promotes post exercise hydration and recovery.

Nine cyclists were asked to exercise to exhaustion, and then given a 2 hour recovery period. During that recovery period they were given chocolate milk, a carbohydrate replacement drink, or a fluid replacement drink, all of which were composed of an equal amount of calories. The athletes were then asked to cycle to exhaustion a second time. The researchers report that cyclists consuming chocolate milk were able to cycle longer compared to the other two sports drinks

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More reasons to cut back on red meat

March 25th 2009 12:54

High consumption of red meat and processed meat shortens life expectancy through increased risk for a variety of illnesses including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. “The consumption of red meat was associated with a modest increase in total mortality”, says Rashmi Sinha, lead author.